We Got This

DAVE HURTEAU AND I BELLY-crawled to the ridge crest, where we could finally see the gobbler. He was 150 yards below, strutting under a cottonwood tree with a dozen hens. “What we need to do is fall back, sneak up that creek bed, and show him a fan,” I whispered.

“Nah,” Hurteau said. “We need to circle out that way and get ahead of him.”

“He’s standing in the shade, Dave. Let’s just go to him.”

“We’ve already chased him for 4 miles. Let’s cut him off.”

We glared at one another. This was our first time hunting together, and I’d already listened to him—a Yankee and a proud cat owner—run a mouth call better than me. I wasn’t letting him have this too. This was a ditch-slipping turkey. My kind of turkey. I just needed to be diplomatic about it. When we’re not turkey hunting, Hurteau is a good friend—and besides that, he’s the executive editor of this magazine.

“Dave, we’ll never kill this